obligatory obscure reference


self-deprecating yet still self-promotional witty comment

2010/04/24

More Aluminum Heated Build Platforms for the Makerbot Cupcake

Filed under: MakerBot,Metalworking — jet @ 14:57

More platforms back in the store and I dropped the price by $10. Now you have an option of a plate with no peripheral holes as well as an option for the nicrhome kit.

Here’s how I set it up: using Kapton tape, I attached a loop of nichrome wire to the underside of the platform. I also put the thermistor in an “average” spot away from the wire:

heated makerbot platform

This connects using the A6 pin on the extruder, same as other boards, all of which are basically doing what Eberhard documented on his blog. For software, you’ll need to download and build the latest ReplicatorG and firmware from the makerbot github.

[tags]makerbot[/tags]

2010/04/23

another day, another facebook privacy policy screwup

Filed under: Rants — jet @ 10:00

I do privacy and security stuff for a living, so I can honestly say that Facebook doesn’t have to make everything opt-in by default. They could just as easily do opt-neutral or even opt-out by default, but they’ve decided to err in favor of stalkers and data miners.

Facebook has added a new privacy setting called “Instant Personalization” that shares data with non-Facebook websites BY DEFAULT. You have to manually go and turn it off you don’t want Facebook to share your data with non-Facebook websites.

On top of that, Facebook will still let your friends share information about you on other sites unless you block the individual applications.

You can turn off the data sharing by Facebook within Facebook settings: Account > Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites -> Instant Personalization -> Edit Setting

To block the Applications, you have to go to each and every Application within Facebook and individually block it:

Pandora: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=139475280761

Yelp: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=97534753161

docs.com: I haven’t found the app yet.

2010/04/22

obligatory lost prototype iPhone post

Filed under: Hacking,Random and Pleasing,Reverse Engineering — jet @ 10:03

I pretty much agree with the entire daring fireball writeup except for one bit:

Admittedly, it would be very hard to get someone on the phone at Apple who would know what a device such as this one is. Apple, like most large companies, deliberately makes it difficult for consumers to reach (non-retail) employees. There is no lost prototype hotline.

True, there’s no “lost prototype hotline”, but it’s pretty easy to get ahold of Apple. I bet any one of these would have worked just fine:

  • Walk into any Apple store and ask the manager how to get a lost prototype back to Cupertino.
  • Post to twitter: “Hey Apple, I think I found a lost prototype. How do I return it to Cupertino?”
  • Go to Apple’s website, click on the “Contact Us” link, scroll down to “Apple Public Relations”, dial the toll-free number and explain what you found.

It’s not rocket surgery, people.

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